Unless you've undergone a major remodel, chances are you've never given much thought to baseboards. Today, we're tackling baseboards: an often overlooked design detail that, as it turns out, plays a big role in protecting walls and making rooms feel polished. Fortunately, architect James Dixon (a member of the Remodelista Architect & Designer Directory, whose firm specializes in restoring Manhattan apartments and building country houses) is only too happy to keep exploring "the wonderful history of moldings" with us.
What are baseboards?
Baseboards are installed partly for aesthetic reasons: Just as crown molding hides the area where walls meet the ceiling, baseboards hide the joint where walls meet the floor, which might otherwise be unsightly. But baseboards also serve a very necessary function in protecting plaster walls from getting kicked or scuffed by shoes, boots, and vacuum attachments.
Should baseboards look like the other molding in the room?
Dixon says there are many arcane rules behind choosing and installing molding. In general, however, the design should tie in with the room's other trim. "All the trim should be part of the same family, with similar detail and proportions," he says. "While I love an 18-inch-high, elaborately carved baseboard, it won't feel right in a tiny room with a low ceiling."
Baseboard trim is usually much less ornate than crown molding, though in modern houses both can be starkly simple. Remember that more streamlined molding will collect less dust and dirt. And since baseboards are adjacent to the floor, you need to make sure the two materials work together in terms of color and texture.
Another indispensible part for your house except for the baseboard is door jamb. With the invention of the door came a new and beloved part of humanity – privacy. Though interaction is an essential part of every civilization, so too is the need for time alone, an area to call one's own. The door was the perfect way to ensure that was possible. However, a door cannot stand on its own. It requires support. That comes in the form of a door jamb. Often overlooked, ignored, or underappreciated, the door jamb plays a very important role in every home.
Leveling and Support. The primary purpose of the door jambs, and the door frame as a whole, is to provide a lasting support for the door. When hung, the door relies on this framing. The door jambs and other components of the frame are installed with care to ensure that the door hangs level to the floor. If this is not done properly, the door would hang uneven or crooked. This may result in several different problems. The door may not swing open and closed smoothly. It could leave spaces unfilled, even when closed, which decreased the efficiency of the home. For these reasons, and many others, the door jambs must be hung properly and provide a tough resilience, so the door continues to function at its best.
Except for what mentioned above, there are also some other shutter components many used in the decoration of the house, such as trim board, door casing and quarter round. And of course these materials require some moulding methods like wood moulding, crown moulding, pine moulding, finger jointed moulding and so on to install.
